YAA Confessions: Our Biggest I CAN'T EVENs

In life, there are just some things that make you say, I CAN'T EVEN. I can't even can be used for both good and evil. For example, Tom Hardy and a puppy? I CAN'T EVEN good. Joe Manganiello trying to emote? I CAN'T EVEN bad. Sometimes something is so I CAN'T EVEN bad it's good, and sometimes it can be a little bit of both.

Case in point: There are some books we love, but that doesn't mean they don't contain an element of I can't even. 

Maggie: There's a reason why I didn't read Harry Potter until two years ago. Cho Chang. I CAN'T EVEN. The first time I heard her name, I remember thinking, Was Ching Chong too obvious, JK?? I steadfastly refused to read the books and only went to the first movie because my friend paid for my ticket. And then I fell asleep in the theater. It wasn't until Noelle wore me down with her book pressure over months and months that I decided to give Sorcerer's Stone a try. Yeah, I ended up mainlining them in a row and talking like I lived at Hogwarts for a month. However, whenever I see that name... It's not even a valid name. They are two last names! Two Korean last names! Okay, Chang can be both Korean and Chinese but still. I can't with that name.

Noelle:  At this point I feel like I'm picking on a clearly repentant Gayle Forman, but I CAN'T EVEN with Adam's band name in Where She Went.  Adam, charming, irresistible, pluck-you-like-the-stringed-instrument-of-your-choice Adam forms a band that is supposedly the game changing accolade acquiring Grammy winning heir to Nirvana and calls it....Shooting Star? Shooting Star?!!? Reader, there isn't a record scratch sound effect loud enough.

NOW FOR THE GOOD...

Maggie: I can't even with... sweatpants. Specifically, sweatpants no shirt. Before you judge, I would like to refer to Exhibit A: The Beast Lord of Atlanta. What can Curran be found in when not in his warrior form? ...Sweatpants. Exhibit B: Rites of Spring (Break), Chapter 14. "[Redacted] was dressed in a pair of sweatpants and nothing else." I'll let the turning point speak for itself. There is an art to wearing the sweatpant -- if you're hot, boom, art. And a million I can't evens. Followed by please and thank you.

Noelle: I thought long and hard about this one and thought of my well documented love for Buddy Cops of Convenience and basically the Ruby Oliver series as a whole but settled on a more broad choice.  You know when you're reading a book and then all of a sudden the author writes something that resonates so personally it sends you into a what-the-hell-were-you-there?! flashback? Yeah, I CAN'T EVEN.  Whether it is the thrill of a note in your locker, the gut punch of seeing your ex in a new relationship, seeing your parent from a new perspective, the power of a mixtape or you know, just about anything Melina Marchetta writes...the feeling is just THE best.   I think that kind of connection is what makes YA so powerful.  And so, well, I CAN'T EVEN.

What makes you say I CAN'T EVEN these days?

YA in LA: Summer Lovin' Tour, Part Deux

Almost exactly a year ago, I went to my first author event, the Summer Lovin' Tour with Jenny Han, Jessi Kirby, and Morgan Matson. When I found out it was coming back again this year with even more authors, I knew I had to go. Of course, like last year, there was the little matter of the NBA PLAYOFFS delaying me, but I was only 15 minutes late!

The Summer Lovin' Tour 2013 is back and bigger than before. (Missed you, Jenny Han! I should have made a "For Jenny" shirt, a la Lori and Coral in the Real World/Road Rules Challenge.) This year, the authors were:

• Jessi Kirby, Golden (released this week)
• Sarah Ockler, The Book of Broken Hearts (released next week)
• Suzanne Young, The Program
• Morgan Matson, Second Chance Summer
• Kimberly Derting, Dead Silence 
• Shannon Messenger, Let the Sky Fall 

By the time I got there, the authors were each introducing their books. After that, Sarah Ockler read passages selected by each other and the audience guessed who had written it. The turnout was small this time, but really, there were two potential elimination games going on. I almost didn't make it. However, this didn't deter the authors and they gamely participated in discussions. One great thing about smaller crowds is that discussion is more relaxed, which leads to unexpected topics, like embarrassing moments. If you're going to any of the other dates on this tour, ask Jessi Kirby about the time she was in charge of the boys basketball team. Or Kimberly Derting about the email meant for her husband. Or Shannon Messenger about the time she met Arthur Levine.

One audience member asked which character the authors would be in each other's books. Sarah Ockler immediately answered that she would be Honor from Jessi Kirby's In Honor. If you've read In Honor and/or watched Friday Night Lights, you know why: Rusty/Tim Riggins. There was also a fun discussion about who the authors stalk/fangirl over. Sarah said she couldn't breathe when she met Sarah Dessen. Jessi mentioned how, when she was writing Moonglass (her debut novel) before she had a publishing deal, she saw Sarah's Twenty Boy Summer in the library and stopped dead because her story featured a beach and red sandglass. She immediately got the book and started reading it. Even more of a coincidence, her character was named Anna Ryan and the main character in Twenty Boy Summer is Anna Reiley. After she finished reading the book, Jessi emailed Sarah with the subject heading, "We are literary soulmates." Sarah remembered the email and they met for the first time at a writers retreat last year.

Sarah also got a great email from another fan of Twenty Boy Summer who actually wrote a song about the book. Her name was Jude Hernandez and she mentioned how people had trouble pronouncing her name so she went by Jude Henderson at times. That stuck with Sarah and the name of the main character in The Book of Broken Hearts is... Jude Hernandez. How cool is that? BRB. (Dear Melina...)

Another question was what the authors are working on now.

• Sarah Ockler: Sarah is working on a book that was called Love and Other Internet Disasters. The name is going to changed. It's a contemporary story about a girl named Lucy who is in love with her best friend's boyfriend. Her best friend ends up getting sick and asks Lucy to take her boyfriend to the prom. Even worse, the boyfriend kisses Lucy at the after party. Even worse than that, someone takes a picture and uses Lucy's phone to post the picture onto Lucy's Facebook page. The pictures go viral and Lucy is branded a slut.
• Suzanne Young: Suzanne is working on copy edits of The Treatment, which comes out next year. She's also working with Cat Patrick on a contemporary book, Just Like Fate, which comes out in August.
• Shannon Messenger: Shannon is working on the Let the Sky Fall series, as well as her Keeper of the Lost Cities series. The Keeper is much longer with at least 60 characters, so it takes up much more of her time.
• Jessi Kirby: Jessi's next book doesn't have a title yet but it's a contemporary. The main character is a girl whose boyfriend tragically died. His family donates all his organs. She starts to write letters to all the recipients and they all write her back except one -- the person who received his heart. She goes outside all the regulations because she becomes obsessed with who got the heart since that's the most important one to her. She just wants to see him but they end up meeting and he falls for her and she wonders if it's him or the heart. She also has to deal with whether to tell him the truth about how she found it. This will be released in 2015.
• Morgan Matson: Morgan just turned in her book. It's about a girl named Emily and her best friend, Sloan. Sloan moves away and doesn't tell her. Two weeks later, she gets a list of 13 things that relate to things that are in their history. She starts going through the list and doing the things listed, like stealing something, because she thinks it will bring her back to Sloan. Morgan also has another series coming out in 2016 about four friends who spend every summer together on an island. Everything changes when they turn 16. Right now there are 3 books planned in the series, but it may turn into 4.
• Kimberly Derting: Kimberly finished revisions on the third Pledge book, which will come out in January. It's her fave. She couldn't reveal the title yet but she said that somebody dies. She also sold a new trilogy to Harper Collins -- a contemporary sci-fi. It's about a girl who vanishes when she's 16 and is gone for 5 years. She has no memory of where she's been but when she comes back 5 years later, her life is completely different but she is still 16. She's trying to fit into her new world. Her dad saw her disappear but people didn't believe him so he's an alcoholic now and her parents are divorced. The title of this series is The Taking.

That's it for me. I'm passing the recap baton to Flannery from The Readventurer because I know she's going to the Seattle event. The other dates for the tour are: 

Lunch Table Rankings: March 15

Everyone knows the biggest honor you can bestow on someone is an invite to your lunch table, but an invite doesn't get passed around to just ANYONE....

You read that right, Finnick Odair. More photoshoots like this and your Pirates of the Caribbean ass can eat in the bathroom!

Launch Party: Also Known As by Robin Benway

We have three words for you, Robin Benway: Launch. Yo. Self.

Date: Friday, March 8, 2013

Time: 7pm
Place: Vroman's Bookstore

As you know, Mandee (Vegan YA Nerds & The Book Manicurist) and I do regular package swaps. Not only does she send me the latest and greatest Australian YA, she goes to a ton of events and gets them signed when she can. My autographed copies of Quintana of Charyn and Night Beach have their own special shelf. Next to my heart. For our next swap, I got The Reece Malcolm List autographed at Amy Spalding's launch. I also bought a few more books but was disappointed that there was only one hardcover since hardcovers aren't sold Down Under. Mandee had Also Known As by Robin Benway on her wishlist, so I preordered it and was ready to send her package out after AKA's release on February 26th. And then I remembered seeing Robin at Amy's launch and checked to see if she was also doing an event in LA. I forget that not all authors live in Australia or Portland and some are even LA based. After seeing a bunch of authors come out to Amy's launch and hearing Noelle's disappointment that no one comes out to Orlando, I decided to really make an effort to go to events, especially for local authors. Cue Tupac's To Live and Die in LA.

Anyway, now that I've rambled on about everything except Kafka's Motorbike, onto the launch!

Vroman's is a huge independent bookstore in Pasadena. It's been a while since I'd been there. I think the last time I was there, I bought a Haruki Murakami book to impress a boy and I ended up detesting both book and boy. There's a section upstairs for events, conveniently located across from the huge YA section. I got there about 10 minutes before the event -- yup, early again!

Robin came out and the first thing I noticed was that she has great hair. Like, amazing, Tami Taylor hair. The main character of AKA is also named Maggie so obviously we're meant to be best friends.

Robin read an excerpt from the book and then opened it up to questions. First, she had to give a very sweet shoutout to her mom and brother, who were in the audience, and she said she dedicates all her books to them. Her brother especially was really supportive when she decided to leave her well paying but monotonous job to write. Robin also recorded the audiobook for AKA and said Angelo is meant to be British ("sounds like James Bond and looks like Tim Gunn"), but she didn't dare try a British accent for the audiobook. Thank Madonna. The character of Roux is from her second manuscript, which her publisher passed on and remains unpublished. 

The idea of AKA came to Robin when she got locked out of her storage unit. She couldn't remember the combination to the Master Lock so she googled. A few minutes later, her storage unit was unlocked and a book idea was born. Robin recently went on a high school and library tour with Megan Miranda and Yelena Black (her blog post), and she told the high schoolers how her story idea originated. So yeah, if there's a rise in lock picking at high schools... She set the story in New York because she loved her time there while attending NYU. Gramercy Park, the private park accessible only to residents with a key, is where Maggie picks her first lock.  

As part of her research, aside from breaking and entering into her belongings, Robin contacted safe crackers to ask them questions about the job. All of them refused to divulge any information. Whatever, we've all seen The Italian Job.

SEQUEL NEWS: There is going to be one! Robin is working on edits right now and it should be released January 2014. She'll be recording that audiobook as well. She said the story came together much easier for the sequel than the original and she enjoyed revisiting the characters. 

I mentioned seeing Robin at Amy's launch and Amy was here for Robin's. I also met authors Brandy Colbert, whose novel Pointe (release: 2014) sounds all Black Swan and awesome, and Aaron Hartzler, whose memoir Rapture Practice will be launched at Barnes & Noble at the Grove on April 9, the day of its release. Author Abby McDonald and her British accent were also there. I love how supportive the authors are of one another, and after just two events, I'm already starting to recognize familiar faces. Cue California Love. 

A note on Vroman's policy for events. I am all for supporting authors and bookstores, especially independent bookstores. I bought AKA before I knew about the event, but I figured I would buy Audrey Wait and another book I need at Vroman's. However, when I got there, I was told that in order to get a ticket for the signing, I would have to buy another copy of AKA. I asked if I could buy another book instead and said I would buy 3 books in total, but I was shut down. I texted Flannery from The Readventurer since I know Flann goes to a ton of events and asked if that was the usual policy. She said no and that if you're required to make a purchase, you're allowed to at least choose what you buy. That was also my experience at the Once Upon A Time bookstore when I went there for the Summer Lovin' Tour last year. Luckily, Amy Spalding came to my aid and used her ticket to get my book signed as well. Thank you, Amy! And to Vroman's:

Lunch Table Rankings: March 8

Everyone knows the biggest honor you can bestow on someone is an invite to your lunch table, but an invite doesn't get passed around to just ANYONE....

I originally had Wolf, aka Alpha Kesley, at the Cool Table but after reading Frost Burned, I remembered Adam Hauptman IS the Cool Table!

Lunch Table Rankings

Everyone knows the biggest honor you can bestow on someone is an invite to your lunch table, but an invite doesn't get passed around to just ANYONE....

Launch Party: The Reece Malcolm List

We have three words for you, Amy Spalding: Launch. Yo. Self.

I usually find out about book events in LA after I read about them in Rachel's recaps on The Reader's Den, but I had the book launch of The Reece Malcolm List circled on my calendar ever since we took part in the cover reveal.

Date: Saturday, February 9, 2013
Time: 5pm
Place: Skylight Books

Book Mani (optional): Zoya Mitzi matte nail polish with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Recap: I love Skylight Books but parking is a nightmare. I once circled for 45 minutes and still couldn't find parking, so my friend and I made sure to leave early on Saturday. We ended up an hour early for the event, which if you know me, NEVER happens. I was late to see MELINA MARCHETTA for crying out loud. Anyway, we scoped out the place and made sure to get seats in the middle/back. Because apparently we're still in high school. 

By the time Amy descended the stairs -- without any intro music unfortunately -- the place was packed and all the seats taken. She read three passages from the book while we munched on amazing espresso bourbon cupcakes.

After the reading, she opened it up for a Q&A. Some of the people asking questions also have books coming out this year, like Robin Benway (Also Known As, February 26), Sarah Skilton (Bruised, March 5), and Brandy Colbert (A Point So Delicate). I always forget that not all YA authors hail from Australia and some even live in LA. One of Amy's friends j'accused her of stealing Sai's ethnicity from her own Indian-Chinese-white makeup, and we all laughed and stoned her.* There was a ton of great Q&A that I didn't write down because of cupcake hands. 

I ended up buying 3 extra copies to send to Estelle from Rather Be Reading, Chachic from Chachic's Book Nook, and Mandee from Vegan YA Nerds. Estelle was reading Reece that morning and ended up loving it (her review). Chachic is coming to LA in a few weeks and I thought the LA setting of this book would be the perfect accompaniment. Mandee and I do regular swaps of all that is YA, and after all the great books set in Australia she's sent me, I'm glad I could finally send her something set in LA.

This was a great event by Amy Spalding and Skylight Books. Tom Haverford and Jean Ralphio would be jealous proud.

--

*No one was harmed during the launch of The Reece Malcolm List.

Booking Forward to 2013

We like to start a new year off right....with BOOK PUNZ.  And book lists!  So, let's talk about all the books we're counting down the days to be released in 2013.

First off, let's get the No, Duh selections out of the way. As in, The Howling Boy. Duhhhhh. Just One Day. Duh. Isla and the Happily Ever After. Duh. Dracomachia. Double duh. More Than This. All duhs in the history of duhs. We (and the rest of you) will be elbowing each other out of the way for those new books.  But what other release dates do we have circled on our calendars?

Noelle: As a long time reader and fan of The Rejectionist, my first choice had to be All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry (and that was when all I knew was that it was based in the Pacific Northwest in the 90s!)  Goodreads now has a full synopsis and I cannot wait. (St. Martin's Griffin: July 30, 2013)

Goodreads Synopsis: The first book in an exciting YA trilogy, this is the story of two best friends on the verge of a terrifying divide when they begin to encounter a cast of strange and mythical characters.  Set against the lush, magical backdrop of the Pacific Northwest, two inseparable best friends who have grown up like sisters—the charismatic, mercurial, and beautiful Aurora and the devoted, soulful, watchful narrator—find their bond challenged for the first time ever when a mysterious and gifted musician named Jack comes between them. Suddenly, each girl must decide what matters most: friendship, or love. What both girls don’t know is that the stakes are even higher than either of them could have imagined. They’re not the only ones who have noticed Jack’s gift; his music has awakened an ancient evil—and a world both above and below which may not be mythical at all. The real and the mystical; the romantic and the heartbreaking all begin to swirl together, carrying the two on journey that is both enthralling and terrifying. And it’s up to the narrator to protect the people she loves—if she can.

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Maggie: Have you read Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood? By that, I mean have you LOVED Six Impossible Things by Fiona Wood? That book just made me happy. I immediately staked out Fiona Wood's website and Twitter for news of her next book, and after a few title changes, she settled on Wildlife. There aren't many details about the book but the few that she has released, namely that Lou from Six Impossible Things will be one of the two main characters, easily makes this one of my most anticipated titles of 2013. (Pan Macmillan Australia)

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Noelle:  Anyone who read my review of The Assassin's Curse by Cassandra Rose Clarke, knew The Pirate's Wish was going to show up here.  With all the setup out of the way, the sequel has promise of being even better than the first book.  I'm dying to get my hands on it. (Strange Chemistry: June 4, 2013)

Goodreads Synopsis: After setting out to break the curse that binds them together, the pirate Ananna and the assassin Naji find themselves stranded on an enchanted island in the north with nothing but a sword, their wits, and the secret to breaking the curse: complete three impossible tasks. With the help of their friend Marjani and a rather unusual ally, Ananna and Naji make their way south again, seeking what seems to be beyond their reach. Unfortunately, Naji has enemies from the shadowy world known as the Mists, and Ananna must still face the repercussions of going up against the Pirate Confederation. Together, Naji and Ananna must break the curse, escape their enemies — and come to terms with their growing romantic attraction.

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Maggie: My first choice doesn't have a cover but it at least has a title. My second choice has neither, but anyone who's read Angelfall by Susan Ee has been waiting with bated breath for news of the sequel. Fall 2013. It's on. (Amazon Children's Publishing)

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Noelle: Who didn't add Daisy Whitney's When You Were Here to their to-read list at that original "Where She Went meets Lost in Translation" blurb? (Little, Brown: June 2013)

 Goodreads synopsis: Danny's mother lost her five-year battle with cancer three weeks before his graduation-the one day that she was hanging on to see.  Now Danny is left alone, with only his memories, his dog, and his heart-breaking ex-girlfriend for company. He doesn't know how to figure out what to do with her estate, what to say for his Valedictorian speech, let alone how to live or be happy anymore.  When he gets a letter from his mom's property manager in Tokyo, where she had been going for treatment, it shows a side of a side of his mother he never knew. So, with no other sense of direction, Danny travels to Tokyo to connect with his mother's memory and make sense of her final months, which seemed filled with more joy than Danny ever knew. There, among the cherry blossoms, temples, and crowds, and with the help of an almost-but-definitely-not Harijuku girl, he begins to see how it may not have been ancient magic or mystical treatment that kept his mother going. Perhaps, the secret of how to live lies in how she died.

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Maggie: This one doesn't have a cover either. However, it already has an award. Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts won the 2012 Text Prize. Text publishes some of our favorite authors, like Leanne Hall (winner of the 2009 Text Prize), Vikki Wakefield, and Paula Weston, so I have high expectations for Zac and Mia. (Text: August 2013)

Text synopsis: Zac and Mia opens in an oncology ward in Perth, where 17-year-old Zac is recovering from a bone marrow transplant for leukaemia. He and Mia, the ‘newbie’ patient in the room next door, begin a friendship via Facebook, letters and messages passed through one of the nurses — but out of hospital things are a lot more complicated. Written with great humour, Zac and Mia is a realistic novel about being a young person in extraordinary circumstances.

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Noelle: I feel like I've had my eye on this next book for-ev-er.  But never fear! The release date of Bruised by Sarah Skilton is finally near! (Amulet/Abrams: March 5, 2013)

Goodreads synopsis: When Imogen, a sixteen-year-old black belt in Tae Kwon Do, freezes during a holdup at a local diner, the gunman is shot and killed by the police, and she blames herself for his death. Before the shooting, she believed that her black belt made her stronger than everyone else -- more responsible, more capable. But now her sense of self has been challenged and she must rebuild her life, a process that includes redefining her relationship with her family and navigating first love with the boy who was at the diner with her during the shootout. With action, romance, and a complex heroine, Bruised introduces a vibrant new voice to the young adult world -- full of dark humor and hard truths.

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Maggie: I just came across this on Alpha Reader's Most Anticipated Books of 2013 list and the word basketball immediately jumped out at me. (Go Spurs Go!) Canary by Rachele Alpine has "destroy me" potential. (Medallion Press: August 28, 2013)

Goodreads synopsis: Staying quiet will destroy her, but speaking up will destroy everyone.

Kate Franklin’s life changes for the better when her dad lands a job at Beacon Prep, an elite private school with one of the best basketball teams in the state. She begins to date a player on the team and quickly gets caught up in a world of idolatry and entitlement, learning that there are perks to being an athlete. 

But those perks also come with a price. Another player takes his power too far and Kate is assaulted at a party. Although she knows she should speak out, her dad’s vehemently against it and so, like a canary sent into a mine to test toxicity levels and protect miners, Kate alone breathes the poisonous secrets to protect her dad and the team. The world that Kate was once welcomed into is now her worst enemy, and she must decide whether to stay silent or expose the corruption, destroying her father’s career and bringing down a town’s heroes. 

Canary is told in a mix of prose and verse.

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Noelle: A Psychological YA Thriller by Lucy Christopher?! Where do I sign?  The Killing Woods can't be released soon enough for me. (Chicken House Ltd: March 5, 2013)

 Goodreads synopsis: Emily’s dad is accused of murdering a teenage girl. Emily is sure he is innocent, but what happened that night in the woods behind their house where she used to play as a child? Determined to find out, she seeks out Damon Hillary the enigmatic boyfriend of the murdered girl. He also knows these woods. Maybe they could help each other. But he’s got secrets of his own about games that are played in the dark.  

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Maggie: Lili Wilkinson x stage magicians x a bunny named Warren. Need I say more? (Okay, technically I can't say more since there isn't much information and the book isn't even listed on goodreads yet.) But a picture is worth a thousand words. Look at this cover! I got the cover off Lili's website and according to her Twitter, The Zigzag Effect will be released April 2013. (I'm assuming by Allen & Unwin.)

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Noelle: You all know I love Martha Wells so her first official YA fantasy release, Emilie & the Hollow World is getting an automatic spot on this list. (Strange Chemistry: April 2, 2013)

 

Goodreads synopsis: While running away from home for reasons that are eminently defensible, Emilie’s plans to stow away on the steamship Merry Bell and reach her cousin in the big city go awry, landing her on the wrong ship and at the beginning of a fantastic adventure. Taken under the protection of Lady Marlende, Emilie learns that the crew hopes to use the aether currents and an experimental engine, and with the assistance of Lord Engal, journey to the interior of the planet in search of Marlende’s missing father. With the ship damaged on arrival, they attempt to traverse the strange lands on their quest. But when evidence points to sabotage and they encounter the treacherous Lord Ivers, along with the strange race of the sea-lands, Emilie has to make some challenging decisions and take daring action if they are ever to reach the surface world again.  

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Maggie: I started off 2012 by reading Mercy Thompson. All of Mercy Thompson. I thought it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship with urban fantasy, but honestly, I haven't liked another series nearly as much. Luckily, Frost Burned (Mercy Thompson #7) by Patricia Briggs will be released in 2013. Hauptman. Swoon. (Orbit: March 5, 2013)

 

Goodreads synopsis: Shapeshifter Mercy Thompson's life is calming down, at least enough that she can focus on mundane matters like Black Friday sales. But on her return, Mercy is unable to contact her mate, Alpha Adam Hauptman, or the other members of their pack. All she knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam's disappearance may be related - and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from the most unlikely of allies: the vampire seethe.

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Noelle: My urban fantasy pick for 2013 has to be Haze by Paula Weston.  As we mentioned above, Text Publishing authors are basically an auto-buy for us at this point and Paula Weston and Shadows was one of my favorite new discoveries of 2012.   I can't wait to see what comes next!

This being a sequel and all, I'll play it safe and just link to the Goodreads synopsis.  Don't want to accidentally spoil anything for those still waiting for the US release of Shadows.

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Maggie: Whoever said you shouldn't judge books by their covers said it to make books that didn't have THIS cover feel better. Seriously, just look at Girl Defective by Simmone Howell. This cover kicks so much ass. It's already my favorite cover of 2013. The title and description just add to the anticipation. (Pan Macmillan Australia: March 1, 2013)

 Goodreads synopsis: We, the Martin family, were like inverse superheroes, marked by our defects. Dad was addicted to beer and bootlegs. Gully had "social difficulties" that manifested in his wearing a pig snout mask 24-7. I was surface clean but underneath a weird hormonal stew was simmering... 

It's summer in St Kilda. Fifteen-year-old Sky is looking forward to great records and nefarious activities with Nancy, her older, wilder friend. Her brother – Super Agent Gully – is on a mission to unmask the degenerate who bricked the shop window. Bill the Patriarch seems content to drink while the shop slides into bankruptcy. A poster of a mysterious girl and her connection to Luke, the tragi-hot new employee sends Sky on an exploration into the dark heart of the suburb. Love is strange. Family Rules. In between there are teenage messes, rock star spawn, violent fangirls, creepy old guys and accidents waiting to happen. If the world truly is going to hell in a hand-basket then at least the soundtrack is kicking. Sky Martin is Girl Defective: funny, real and dark at the edges.

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Noelle:   I loved Split and am beyond intrigued by the hybrid graphic novel/prose format of Swati Avasthi's latest book Chasing Shadows  (August 6, 2013).   It's killing me that there's no cover art available yet. *grabby hands*

 Goodreads Synopsis: College-bound Holly, Corey, and Savitri plan to make their last summer together count between reading comic books and free running (a sport that blends gymnastics with running through an urban landscape). But a bullet changes everything: Corey is dead; Savitri wants revenge, and Holly withdraws into a world of her own making, where she can rescue Corey from Death himself. As Holly disappears into a realm beyond Savitri’s reach, Savitri must decide how far she'll go to rescue Holly. Written as a hybrid between graphic novel and prose, Chasing Shadows is about how we let go of people we love.

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Maggie: For my final book, I'm pulling out my tie-dyed Rayanne Graff "duh squared" card. Noelle and I already mentioned it above, but I have to mention it again because it is unquestionably my most anticipated book of 2013. Howling Boy. Cath Crowley. Duh squared. Like with my other choices, details are few and far between, but here's one from Cath that should make the lack of cover more bearable. (Pan Macmillan Australia: September 2013)

Noelle: Um, duh.

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So there you have it!  There's nothing like starting off a new year with an exciting new to-read list! What are you looking forward to reading in 2013?

Dispatch from ALA12

I survived.

And I've got a lot of junk in my trunk.

The Black Eyed Peas once dared to ask, What you gon' do with all that junk? All that junk inside your trunk? I'll answer that and more in my recap once I catch up on some sleep. And finish my wine. Remember, wine goes bad once it's opened.

YA Authors... Like A Boss!

2nd May, 2012: Melina Marchetta writes a post on goodreads where she mentions the possibility of an event in LA.

2nd May, 2012: Maggie writes a comment to said post on goodreads where she shamelessly throws herself at Melina, begging her to hold an event in LA.

4th May, 2012: Melina responds. LIKE A BOSS.

There's a reason why she's called The Queen. And I will bet on the Goddess of Blood and Tears every day of the week! Is anyone else planning on going to Comic-Con and/or stalking Melina around LA?

Summer Lovin'... Had Me a Blast

When I found out Jenny Han, Jessi Kirby, and Morgan Matson were kicking off their Summer Lovin' tour in LA, I immediately re-read Flannery's recap of the YA or Bust! tour to get tips.

• Arrive early
• Bring a camera to record the authors
• Take notes

I was reminding myself of those tips as I peeled down Ocean View Blvd at 7pm -- for a 7pm signing. Luckily, the event hadn't started yet. The Once Upon a Time bookstore in Montrose was packed by the time I got there. I was planning on using my phone to record the authors, but, uh, I forgot to charge my spare battery and had just enough juice to get text updates about the Spurs-Jazz game from Noelle. (Thanks, Noelzy!) And because I know you're dying to know, yes, the Spurs won. :) The only other camera I had was my Fuji Instax, so yeah, no video. As to the third tip, notes... I fully intended to take them. On to my faulty memory recap!

The first thing I noticed was just how stylish each author was. Jessi was rocking a sundress and boots (no, they weren't red, but they were very cool), Jenny had a cute dress with killer heels (very Carrie Bradshaw), and Morgan wore a shift dress and flats that Zooey Deschanel would bat her eyelashes off for. Each author introduced herself and then read a passage from her book. Morgan started it off with a passage from her new book, Second Chance Summer, which was the only book I hadn't read, though I definitely plan to. Jenny read from We'll Always Have Summer, which was just released in paperback with a special bonus -- Conrad's letters. Jessi read from In Honor, which I had just devoured the day before.

After the reading and before the Q&A with the audience, Jenny decided they needed to play Marry, Date, Kill. The choices? Voldemort, Nagini, and Dobby. Ha! Before I give you their answers, I'll give you some time to ruminate on what your answers would be.

*************************** PINKY, ARE YOU PONDERING WHAT I'M PONDERING ***************************

Jenny, the instigator, made Morgan answer first. Morgan decided to kill Nagini, date Voldemort, and marry Dobby. Her explanation: You can't date a snake and Dobby is the sweetest.

Jenny answered her question next and decided to kill Nagini, date Dobby, and marry Voldemort. Explanation: She would marry Voldemort and change him.

Jessi decided to kill Nagini, date Voldemort, and marry Dobby.

The next round of Marry, Date, Kill was even better. Choices? Peeta, Gale, and... Finnick! Dun dun dun! I think the audience actually gasped when Jenny made Finnick the third option.

Morgan: Date Finnick, Marry Peeta, and Kill Gale.
Jenny: Date Finnick, Marry Peeta, and Kill Gale.
Jessi: Marry Gale, Date Peeta, and Kill Finnick.

Jessi's answers got the most reaction from the audience and the other authors. When Jessi said Gale was her favorite, Jenny responded (paraphrasing), "What's there to love? He's barely even IN the first book!" Morgan said that she was glad there was a table between her and Jessi. Jessi, though, stood by her man. I knew Jessi would pick Gale. I mean, hello, have you read In Honor? Anyone who owns this shirt would love Gale.

The Q&A followed, but really, how can you follow Marry, Date, Kill? This is my excuse for not remembering the questions -- except my own that is. I asked who they would cast as Finnick (because that's the question I ask everybody). Some suggestions were tossed out, like Chris Hemsworth, but Morgan wondered if that would be "too much Hemsworth." If I had taken notes, this is where I would have written "THERE CAN NEVER BE TOO MUCH HEMSWORTH."

After the Q&A, the wonderful staff at Once Upon a Time got us cupcakes. This was in addition to the swag provided by Simon & Schuster.

At the table, each author also had a little something for us. Morgan had Second Chance Summer postcards, Jenny had Burn for Burn chapter samplers, and Jessi had bottle cap keychains with a picture of a boot. I actually brought dduk, a Korean rice cake, for Jenny because that's how we Koreans roll (and I thought it would be funny). I got my books signed, including my Burn for Burn ARC. I was worried that only books purchased at the store would be eligible for signing, but Once Upon a Time is the coolest bookstore ever and they said that as long as we bought one book from them, we could get as many signed as we wanted. I ended up buying 5 books. They gave me the books in a reusable tote and I nearly exploded from the You've Got Mail / Shop Around the Corner of it all.

I had a lot of fun at this signing and loved meeting other bloggers, like the girls from Read Now Sleep Later. Alethea and Thuy even had these gorgeous bookmarks for their blog, which I shamelessly asked for. I will definitely try to attend the next signing at Once Upon A Time for Marissa Meyer (Cinder) on June 7th. Come!

YAA Confessions: My Friends Are Enablers

By: Maggie

And they're spectacular!

If you ever want to see me shrieking "Are you serious? Are you serious?!" over and over again in front of Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles, this is how you do it:

1. Get me an autographed Melina Marchetta book.
2. That's pretty much all it takes.

My friend Anna, who has just been given Most Favored Enabler status, came for a visit and surprised me with Looking for Alibrandi. The book itself was shriek-worthy because it's the one Marchetta I don't own.  If you've seen the US edition, you know why. It's also the one Marchetta I haven't read. I wanted to save it for after Quintana, when I'd be desperate for my next Marchetta fix. As I was oohing over the cover, Anna told me to open the book.

Initiate full fangirl mode. As I explained to the people looking at me with a mixture of curiosity and fear, Melina Marchetta signed this book! Melina Marchetta signed this book... to me!! It's now nestled on my Marchetta shelf. Now the question is whether to wait for Quintana or not. Hmm...